Weather Channel flies into 'Hurricane'

The Weather Channel has greenlit four halfhour episodes of ''Hurricane Hunters,'' with a premiere set for July. ''Hurricane'' will be a character-driven nonfiction series centered on pilots from a Mississippi-based Air Force squadron who fly into hurricanes to gather meteorological data. For many of the pilots, it is a moonlighting job amid complicated day-to-day lives. ''The appeal of shows like this for the Weather Channel is that these are real people, and the type of work they do helps safeguard people and potentially saves lives,'' said network and content EVP and g.m. Bob Walker. Christian D'Andrea, Aleco Bravo and Rich Battista will produce in association with High Noon Entertainment. The next premieres for the Weather Channel will be in March: ''Lifeguard'' and ''Braving the Elements.'' Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com